Kanyakumari district
The district of Kanyakumari (Tamil: கன்னியாகுமரி மாவட்டம், also: Kanniyakumari ) is the southernmost district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is named after the Cape Comorin, the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, Kanyakumari town. Largest city and administrative center of the district is, however, Nagercoil. Culturally and historically, there are close links with the neighboring federal state of Kerala.
Geography
Location and extent
The district of Kanyakumari is the southernmost district in the Indian mainland (only the islands of the Nicobar Islands is located even further south ). The Cape Comorin, at 8 ° 4 ' north latitude and 77 ° 35' east longitude located, marks the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. This is where the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal to each other. Directly on Cape Comorin is located the eponymous town of Kanyakumari. The district capital Nagercoil is located about 20 miles inland.
With an area of 1,685 square kilometers Kanyakumari is named after the city district of Chennai is the second smallest district of Tamil Nadu. It is divided into four taluks Agasteeswaram, Kalkulam, Thovalai and Vilavancode. The district of Kanyakumari is bordered on the northeast by the district Tirunelveli of the state of Tamil Nadu and to the northwest by the neighboring federal state of Kerala ( Thiruvananthapuram ). The coastline is 68 kilometers, 62 kilometers along the Arabian Sea and six kilometers in the Gulf of Bengal. While otherwise the Western Ghats form a natural border between the two states, the coastal strip has always been easily passable. Thus, the compounds according to Kerala are much more pronounced than in other parts of Tamil Nadu.
While the coastal areas of the district are flat, extend inland the southern foothills of the Western Ghats in the district area in and extend almost to the Cape Comorin zoom. The mountains in the district area reach heights of over 1,800 meters and are covered with thick forests. A total of 30.2 % of the district area is covered, which makes the Kanyakumari the third most forested district of Tamil Nadu.
Climate
The climate in the district of Kanyakumari is tropical and humid hot. As in all of India, the rainfall patterns are largely determined by the monsoon. The district of Kanyakumari lies in the transition region between the climates of the East and West coasts: During the rainy season on the west coast the southwest monsoon from July to September and on the east coast of the northeast monsoon from October to December, is the district of Kanyakumari receives both seasons equally heavy rainfall. The average annual rainfall is 1456.8 mm, of this amount, 559.1 mm to 526.0 mm and the south-west to the north-east monsoon.
History
The district of Kanyakumari is the historical heartland of the ruling family of Travancore, which dominated the southern part of present-day Kerala until the mid 20th century. Originally, this dynasty comes from the small town Thiruvithankodu in today's district area. From 1550 the also located in the district of Kanyakumari Padmanabhapuram was for two centuries the capital Travancores. In 1750, the Rajas of Travancore moved their residence to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum ), now the capital of Kerala state.
After starting from the early 16th century the Portuguese had initially set on the southwest coast of India, reinforced in the 17th century, the Dutch influence. The Raja Marthanda Varma succeeded but to defeat the Dutch in 1741 at the Battle of Colachel. During the British colonial period Travancore was a nominally independent princely state under British suzerainty.
After Indian independence, Travancore united in 1949 with the princely state of Travancore -Cochin Cochin for Federation and completed the connection to India. In 1956, the boundaries of the South Indian states by the States Reorganisation Act were redrawn according to the language barrier. The majority of Travancore - Cochin was formed together with the district of the State of Madras Malabar malayalamsprachigen the new state of Kerala. At the same time came the southernmost part Travancores, was spoken in the predominantly Tamil, as the district of Kanyakumari to Madras State (1969 renamed Tamil Nadu ).
Population
According to the Indian census of 2011, the district of Kanyakumari has 1,863,174 inhabitants. Compared to the last census in 2001 the population had grown by 11.2 percent. The district is very densely populated and highly urbanized: The population density is 1,106 inhabitants per square kilometer, twice as high as the average of Tamil Nadu and is the second highest of all districts of the state after the city district of Chennai. Also, the degree of urbanization is 82.5 percent, well above average and is again second only to Chennai. The literacy rate is 92.1 percent, the highest among the districts of Tamil Nadu and is well above the average of Tamil Nadu ( 80.3 per cent) and also higher than the all-India average ( 74.0 percent).
Besides Tamil, the main language of Tamil Nadu in the district of Kanyakumari also spoken in Kerala Malayalam is widespread. The spoken dialects of the region occupy a transitional position between these two closely related languages.
The religious composition of the population of the district is very different from the rest of Tamil Nadu and is more similar to the southern Kerala: The otherwise dominant Hindus ask according to the 2001 census, 51.3 percent, only a slight majority. This also includes many supporters of the resultant in the 19th century Ayyavali - belief, which has its focus in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. In official statistics, the Ayyavali trailers are counted among the Hindus, therefore, there are no accurate information as to their number. Exceptionally high is the Christian population with 44.5 percent. Almost a fifth of all Christians of Tamil Nadu lives in the district of Kanyakumari. There is also a small minority of Muslims (4.2 per cent).
Economy and infrastructure
The favorable climate district of Kanyakumari offers excellent conditions for agriculture. The main crops of mainly rice, coconut and tapioca, rubber trees in the mountains also. Furthermore, the fishing has traditionally played an important role as an economic factor.
Kanyakumari is the starting point of two major highways: Of National Highway 7, with 2,369 kilometers of the longest highway in India, leading to the North Indian Varanasi and the National Highway 47, which runs parallel to the coast through the southern Kerala, then turns east and ends in Salem. The train station of Nagercoil is a major railway junction, numerous connections both exist as to Tamil Nadu from which to Kerala. A smaller branch line leading from Nagercoil to Kanyakumari. The nearest airport is at Thiruvananthapuram.
Culture and sights
The main attraction of the district is located at Cape Comorin, the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, Kanyakumari. Due to its location Kanyakumari is an important Hindu pilgrimage destination. Off the coast are located on two small rocks a monument to the Hindu philosopher Vivekananda and Tiruvalluvar statue, a colossal statue of the Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar.
Culturally, there are many similarities in the district of Kanyakumari to the neighboring Kerala. So many buildings are built in the Keralite architectural style, which is characterized as a building material by steep roofs and the use of wood. One of the most outstanding examples of this architecture is the palace of Padmanabhapuram, in which the ruler of Travancore resided 1550-1750.
Other attractions in the district of Kanyakumari are going back to the year 1600 St. Xavier Church in Nagercoil, the forts of Udayagiri and Vattakottai, the historic Jain Monuments of Chitharal from the 9th to the 11th century, the waterfalls of Olakaruvi and Thiruparrapu, the Aqueduct of Mathur and the Pechiparai reservoir.